Replenishing mechanism for looms



March 6, 1962 H. N. THIBAULT EIAL 3,023,788

REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1960INVENTOR.

HA RR/so/v/V. 721/94: 011 BY Jo /v A, Cue/1w. 4 EMF 725 A TTORNE Y March6, 1962 H. N. THIBAULT ErAL 3,023,788

REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Filed Jan. 8, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. HA RR/so/v M TH/EA ULT.

g, 7 BY HN A. CU6/N/ A TTORIMEY March 6, 1962 H. N. THIBAULT EI'AL3,023,783

REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 8, 1960 iili Z R. w w v. m M NwL R mmw m i United States Patent F 3,023,788REPELENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS Harrison N. Thibault and John A.Cugini, Hopedale,

Mass, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Draper Corporation, acorporation of Maine Filed Jan. 8, 1960, Ser. No. 1,201 8 Claims. (Cl.139-457) This invention relates to looms for weaving and, particularly,to an improved automatic battery for feeding bobbins to the loom shuttleupon call for replenishment and means for mechanically retaining thefilling end of the transferred bobbin and disposing of this end in avery simple manner.

It is the general object of the invention to simplify the bobbinreplenishing mechanism of looms by providing an all-mechanical systemwhich is effective to remove and to retain the filling end in a positivemanner at the same time decreasing yarn breakage at transfer.

It is a further object to provide a replenishing mechanism including anextracting device for removing the tip bunch from bobbins so wound priorto transfer of said bobbins into a loom shuttle and physically clampingthat bunch for an extremely accurate and predetermined period of time,and further to control said extracting device automatically to retainthe bunch in the event that a transfer of bobbins fails to take placeafter a call for replenishment.

Another object is to provide an extracting device which is of openconstruction, whose design stresses simplicity, and all of the parts ofwhich are easily accessible for replacement or repair when necessary.

It is a further object to provide a clearing device for taking hold ofthe filling ends after release thereof by the extractor and forretaining these ends after cutting thereof at the fabric selvage and forthen disposing of the ends, all the while maintaining tension on theends.

A further object is to provide in a loom for weaving having a bobbinfeeding mean for retaining and presenting for transfer to a loom shuttlea supply of bobbins having filling wound thereon an end of which isWound in the form of a tip bunch adjacent the bobbin end, a memberpivotally mounted adjacent the end of the leading bobbin in the feedingmeans, a combined gripping and clamping means attached to that member, acam-operated lever operable upon a call for replenishment to pivot themember away from the bobbin end over which it is inserted thereby tocause the gripping and clamping means to remove and to retain the bunch,and a check means effective to control release of the bunch by thecombined means, the check means being controllable through the transferarm of the loom.

Other objects will be apparent from the description to follow.

One well known type of automatic battery for effecting transfer ofbobbins in fly shuttle looms employs bobbins having a finder or tipbunch wound on the end thereof. The purpose of such a hunch is to permitautomatically functioning mechanical means to engage this bunch in apositive manner and to displace it outwardly over the end of the bobbinto be engaged by other means and to be held thereby for a period of timesufficient to permit the transfer to take place and also for the shuttleto make its initial pick through the warp so as to permit the filling tobecome interlocked in the fabric before the held end of the fillingthread is released. One such automatic battery is disclosed in UnitedStates Patent No. 2,566,880, employing a swinging bunch removinginstrumentality including two opposed gripping members resiliently urgedtoward each other adapted to engage and remove the tip bunch from abobbin to be transferred to a shuttle, a picker for engaging the removedbunch and transferring "ice it to a comb where it is held while thetransfer takes place 1 and until the bunch is subsequently displaced byadditional bunches. Movement of the gripping members and picker is takenfrom the transfer mechanism already present on the loom.

The present invention is an improvement over the construction of thepatent above cited wherein a gripping member is employed which ispivotable in a horizontal plane so that it is caused to move outwardlyfrom the end of a. bobbin to be transferred during removal of the tipbunch therefrom and rearwardly of the axis of that bobbin as well, Sincetransfer of a bobbin into the shuttle takes place when the lay of theloom is at front center and since the next movement of the lay aftertransfer is toward back center, positioning of the removed bunchrearwardly of the axis of the transferred bobbin results in an improvedthread angle between that axis and the filling end, thereby decreasingthe possibility of yarn breakage on the first pick after transfer.

The extractor is timed by means of a cam-operated lever to remain in itswithdrawn position for a period of time equal to two picks of the loomin order to give the next bobbin to be transferred enough time to fallinto the proper position before the extractor is permitted to encompassthe end thereof. A novel clamping means assures positive control of theremoved tip bunch and retains the bunch until a pivoted hook membertakes hold of the filling end intermediate the bunch and the fabricselvage to bring the filling adjacent a stationary member which inconjunction with the hook member acts as a retaining means for thefilling end to maintain it tensioned until it has been severed at theselvage. Additional means have been provided to hold the extractor in awithdrawn position in the event that a transfer of bobbins fails to takeplace.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanyingfigures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the replenishing side of a loom havingthe invention applied thereto;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the loom with certain parts omitted forthe sake of simplicity;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on line 44 of FIG. 2 and on an enlarged scale;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of the mechanism for preventing release ofthe extractor in the event of failure to transfer;

FIG. 7 is a view partly in section taken on line 7-7 of FIG. 3 and on anenlarged scale;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged side elevation of the combined extractor andclamping device; and

FIG. 9 is an enlarged front elevation of the apparatus of FIG. 8. 7

Now referring to FIG. 1 the hopper stand 11 acts as a support means forthe bobbin replenishing mechanism which includes an inclined chute 12through which bobbins move by gravity to a transfer position occupied bya bobbin 13. A transfer arm 14 acts upon a. call for replenishment totransfer that bobbin into the shuttle 15 in a known manner.

An extractor arm 16 is comprised of two sections 17 and 18 which arefixed at substantially right angles to each other. The arm is pivotallymounted at one end 19 of the section 17 to an L-shaped bracket 20 whichis attached to the side of the chute at 21. The opposite end of section17 is bifurcated as indicated at 22 and has one end of a link member 23pivotally mounted therein. A further bracket 24 is carried by the motorsupport 25 which itself is mounted at the loomside. That bracket has astud 26 extending therefrom upon which an extractor arm lever 27 ispivoted intermediate its ends. The upper part of the lever is linked tomember 23. The lower part includes a pair of horizontally extendingmembers 28 and 29 through aligned openings in which there extends a studmember 30. The latter has fixed to its lower end a collar 31 whichincludes a torsion spring member 31 one end of which is fixed to thecollar and the other end to the member 29' so as to urge the stud in aclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. The lower end of the studincludes a further collar member 32 fixed thereto at a location justabove the member 29, the collar including an extension 33 protrudingtherefrom which rotatably supports a roller member R. At its upper endthe stud 30 has extending therefrom a flat plate member 34. A flexiblerod 35 enclosed within a flexible tube 36 has one end located adjacentthe flat plate 34 and its other end is located so as to be actuated byan abutting plate 37 which depends from an arm 38 fixed to the transferrod 39.

Upon a call for replenishment the transfer rod causes the plate 37 tomove inwardly a small mount, whereby the flexible rod moves the rollerinto the path of an extractor drive cam 40 which is mounted on anextension 41 of the cam shaft so that the cam makes one completerevolution per two picks of the loom. The roller is engaged by the camwhen the lay is approximately at back center, the cam being so designedas to provide clearance for the roller to be swung into and out of itspath at that time. As will be apparent from the drawings rotation of thecam in a counterclockwise direction will cause the extractor arm lever27 to pivot thereby to move the extractor arm to the position shown inFIG. 1 or the dotted line position in FIG. 3. Adjustment screws 42 arethreaded in the bracket 24 and bear upon the support 25 to permit properlateral alignment between roller and cam while the bolts S hold thebracket to that support. A spring 43 abuts against a collar 44 fixed tothe flexible rod to permit the roller to move out of the cam path afterone revolution of the cam when the clearance area is again reached.

The mechanism for removing the tip bunch from a bobbin about to betransferred and for retaining the bunch for at least one pick will nowbe described. That device comprises a combined extractor and clampingdevice 45 shown to enlarged scale in FIGS. 8 and 9. The extractorincludes a pair of jaw members 46 and 47, the former being an integralpart of the base member 48. law 47 is pivotally supported on a stud 49and is urged into contact with jaw 46 by means of a torsion spring 50 atwhich time the pair of jaws define an opening 51 which is slightlysmaller at least along a portion of its diameter than the diameter ofthe end 52 of a bobbin over which it is to be inserted to remove the tipbunch 53 thereof. From the top of the base member 48 there is pivotallymounted a clamping plate 54 having a pair of side members 55 and 56attached along the sides thereof and a button 57 on its face in aposition whereby it place and the transfer is delayed until a subsequentcall is made. In such a case the extractor arm will act to cause removalof the bunch from that bobbin and the clamp will have been released tohold the bunch against the sides of the extractor jaws. It is thereforedesirable to maintain the extractor arm in its extended position awayfrom that bobbin so that the hunch is not released. Toward this endadditional mechanism has been provided to hold the arm out in theposition indicated in FIG. 1 until the leading bobbin has beentransferred into the shuttle, which mechanism will now be described.Essentially, that mechanism comprises means forming a linkage betweenthe loom transfer arm and the extractor arm whereby the latter isreleased to allow the extractor jaws to slip over the next bobbin to betransferred only after the transfer arm has moved downwardly asuflicient amount to cause a bobbin transfer.

The device includes a rod 64 one end of which is linked to the extractorarm at 65 and the other end of which passes through an opening in a stopplate 66 fixed to the hopper stand 11 as noted in FIG. 7. The rod is provided with a notch 67 on its underside, the right hand side of which isadapted to be engaged by the lower edge of the opening in the stop plateto be locked thereby and to hold the extractor arm in its extendedposition. Release of the rod is effected through the linkage systemshown in FIG. 6 which includes a transfer arm follower 68 pivotedintermediate its ends at 69 to a member 79 I fixed to hopper stand 11.The follower has one end 71 will fit partially into the opening 51 whenthe plate is 7 released to retain the tip bunch. A coil spring 58 urgesthe clamping plate toward the jaw members and the entire assembly ismounted at the free end of the section 18 of the extractor arm. A pin 59is fixed to the side member 55 and is adapted to engage a plate fixed tothe side of the chute so as to maintain the clamping plate out ofengagement with the extractor jaws when the latter are in position overa bobbin, but which pin releases that plate as soon as the extractor armswings outwardly to remove the bunch. An adjustable set screw 61 islocated on the inner side of the section 18 to limit inward movement ofthe arm by engagement with a stop 62 on the side of the chute and towardwhich the arm, is biased by a spring 63.

Although it is a rare occurrence, it sometimes does happen that when acall for replenishment is made, a transfer of a new bobbin into theshuttle fails to, take thereof biased in the direction of the upstandingear 72 by means of a spring 73. The opposite end of the follower isengaged by means of a pin 74 with a vertical slot 75 in a releasing link76, the lower end of which has an opening for the passage therethroughof the rod 64. It will therefore be evident that as the transfer armmoves downwardly, the, releasing link 76 will lift the rod 64 so as torelease it from the stop plate 66. Of course, if the transfer arm failsto move downwardly to transfer a bobbin upon a call for replenishment,as would happen should the shuttle be improperly boxed, then the rod 64would remain locked until the second following pick. If the shuttle werethen properly boxed, the transfer arm would replenish the shuttle andthe rod 64 would be released. The cam is shaped so as to allow the notchin the rod to move by the stop plate when a transfer has actually takenplace so as to prevent undesired engagement between the two. Also, asudden protrusion P on the cam slows down movement of the extractor armjust as it approaches its stop to prevent any rebound and accidentalremoval of the tip bunch from the next bobbin to be transferred.

Before the tip bunch is released by the clamping device, the filling endbetween the fabric sel-vage and the bunch must be under control toprevent that end from whipping back into the shed. Toward this end afilling end control means has been provided which comprises a hookmember 77 fixed to the end of a swinging rod 78. The other end of therod is fixed to a short stud 79 supported in a bracket 80. A link 81 isalso fixed to the stud and has a connecting member 82 pivotallyconnecting the link with the section 18 of the extractor arm adjacentits bifurcated end as noted in FIG. 1. A supporting bracket 83 having apiece of furry material 84 or other suitable thread gripping substanceis attached so that it cooperates with the hook 77 as the latter gripsthe filling end between the bobbin and the clamping device to bring thatend into the vicinity of the furry material and to retain it there untilthe next call for replenishment. A further hook 85 (FIG. 2) is fixedadjacent the furry material inwardly of the l'oom with respect to thepivoted hook 87 and acts to prevent the cut filling end from beingcarried rearwardly by the hook 87 on the next transfer.

The hook pivots rearwardly as the extractor arm pivots outwardly and asthe latter is released, the hook swings forwardly to maintain tension onthe filling end and to grip it against the furry substance as notedespecially in the solid and dotted line positions in FIG. 3.

Instead of pivoting in a substantially horizontal plane, the hook maywith equal effectiveness be caused to pivot in a substantially verticalplane and to move the filling toward the front of the loom. The hook maystill be controlled by movement of the extractor arm merely by a slightvm'ation in the linkage therebetween.

While one embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to beunderstood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number ofways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precisedetails described, but is intended to embrace all variations andmodifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and thescope of the claims.

We claim:

1. In combination in a loom for weaving, a bobbin feeding means forretaining and presenting for transfer to a loom shuttle a supply ofbobbins having filling wound thereon an end of which is wound in theform of a tip bunch adjacent the bobbin end, transfer means for movingthe leading one of said supply of bobbins into the shuttle upon call forreplenishment, a tip bunch extractor movable endwise over the end ofsaid leading bobbin, and a clamping plate pivotally mounted on saidextractor and movable between an open position when said extractorencompasses the bobbin end and a closed position when said extractor isremoved from the bobbin end.

2. In combination in a loom for weaving, a bobbin feeding means forretaining and presenting for transfer to a loom shuttle a supply ofbobbins having filling wound thereon an end of which is wound in theform of a tip bunch adjacent the bobbin end, transfer means for movingthe leading one of said supply of bobbins into the shuttle upon call forreplenishment, a tip bunch extractor movable endwise over the end ofsaid leading bobbin, means for holding said extractor in a withdrawnposition for at least one pick to permit a following bobbin to move intotransfer position, and a further means functioning only upon a failureof a bobbin transfer to retain said extractor in said withdrawn positionuntil a transfer has taken place.

3. In combination in a loom for weaving, a bobbin feeding means forretaining and presenting for transfer to a loom shuttle a supply ofbobbins having filling wound thereon an end of which is wound in theform of a tip bunch adjacent the bobbin end, transfer means for movingthe leading one of said supply of bobbins into the shuttle upon call forreplenishment, a member pivotally mounted adjacent the end of saidleading bobbin, a combined gripping and clamping means attached to saidmem; her, control means operable upon said call for replenishment topivot said member away from said bobbin end thereby to cause saidgripping and clamping means to remove and to retain said bunch, and afurther means functioning only upon a failure of a bobbin transfer toretain said combined means in said withdrawn position until a transferhas taken place.

4. In combination in a loom for Weaving, a bobbin feeding means forretaining and presenting for transfer to a loom shuttle a supply ofbobbins having filling wound thereon an end of which is wound in theform of a tip bunch adjacent the bobbin end, transfer means for movingthe leading one of said supply of bobbins into the shuttle upon call forreplenishment, a member pivotally mounted adjacent the end of saidleading bobbin, a combined gripping and clamping means attached to saidmember, a cam-operated lever operable upon said call for replenishmentto pivot said member away from said bobbin end thereby to cause saidgripping and clamping means to remove and to retain said bunch, and ameans for holding said gripping and clamping means in a withdrawnposition for at least one pick to permit a following bobbin to move intotransfer position, and a further means functioning upon a failure of abobbin transfer to retain said gripping and clamping means in awithdrawn position for an additional period of time, said further meansfunctioning in response to an indication from said transfer means.

5. The mechanism of claim 4 which includes means functioning uponremoval of said bunch to maintain tension between said bunch and fillingon said bobbin until said filling has been severed.

6. The mechanism of claim 5 wherein said last-mentioned means comprisesa swingable hook member adapted to engage the filling end at a positionbetween the bobbin end and said gripping and clamping means.

7. The mechanism of claim 4 wherein said combined gripping and clampingmeans comprises a pair of jaw members biased toward each other anddefining an opening therebetween, a clamp pivoted at one of its ends andspring-biased toward said opening, and means on said clamp adapted to beinserted partially into said opening to retain said bunch after removalthereof from said bobbin.

8. The mechanism of claim 4 wherein said cam-operated lever includes aroller adjacent one end thereof, a cam rotatably mounted adjacent saidroller, and means for moving said roller into and out of engagement withsaid cam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,321,275 Barrell Nov. 11, 1919 2,872,948 Newbegin et al Feb. 10, 19592,892,470 Corneliusson et a1. June 30, 1959

